Homestead LB James Burgess will head for Louisville instead of Miami

Homestead linebacker James Burgess Jr., committed to Louisville on Monday night at the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in Phoenix. Burgess had previously committed to Miami. He plans to enroll early.

Homestead linebacker James Burgess Jr., committed to Louisville on Monday night at the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in Phoenix. Burgess had previously committed to Miami. He plans to enroll early. (CHRIS HAYS/ORLANDO SENTINEL)

By Chris Hays | Orlando Sentinel

Homestead linebacker and early Miami Hurricanes commitment James Burgess Jr., was supposed to announce his final college decision live on CBS Sports Network on Tuesday night at the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl at Chase Field in Phoenix.

That opportunity never came to fruition, but it also didn't change things for Burgess, who confirmed to several media outlets after the game that he has flipped his commitment in favor of head coach Charlie Strong and the Louisville Cardinals.

Burgess, 6-foot, 200 pounds, had previously committed to Miami with good friend and teammate Herb Waters this past July, but after the NCAA investigation into the Miami recruiting allegations, Burgess and many other players began to reassess their options.

Waters, a one-time UCF target, recently announced on his Facebook page that he will make his final decision on Jan. 25th. A 6-foot-1, 170-pound wide receiver, Waters is still committed to The U, but has official visits remaining to FIU (Friday), Cincinnati (Jan. 13) and Vanderbilt (Jan. 20). He already visited Louisville with Burgess on Dec. 9.

Burgess played in just three games this past season, breaking his hand in the third contest, sidelining him for the rest of the season. He did play in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl on Tuesday night.

The son of former University of Miami and NFL player James Sr., Burgess becomes the 19th player to commit to the Cardinals for the 2012 recruiting class. National Signing Day is less than a month away, Feb. 1.

Amazingly, through all of the turmoil with which the Miami athletic department has been beseiged in the past four months, the Hurricanes and coach Al Golden still have 27 commitments to the 2012 class.